An (almost) Perfect Anniversary
by EzriaIsForever
Summary: What happens when Ezra decides to whisk Aria away for their anniversary? Will they get caught?


**So this is my first fan fiction…like…ever. So please don't judge the grammar mistakes and cheesy romance too harshly… :)**

 **XOXO —Ezria_Is_Forever—**

I couldn't peel my eyes off of the situation unraveling in front of me. I was right in the middle of a shouting match between my boyfriend- Ezra Fitz, and my dad. For the first time in what felt like hours, my dad removed his death stare from Ezra and shot his daggers straight at me.

"Aria, I forbade you from seeing this a**hole ever again and I promised you there would be consequences if you did.

"You can't forbid me from doing ANYTHING!" I screamed. "I am almost 18 years old. "You can't control me anymore." My father was trying to scare me away from Ezra but I was NOT backing down.

"To HELL I can!" He declared, and before I could fire back, he flew across the room in Ezra's direction with a few quick strides, clenched fists and a look that could kill.

— **36 hours earlier—**

 **-Aria's POV-**

I was heading down to the courtyard to meet the girls for lunch when a mysterious hand covered my mouth and pulled me into Ezra's classroom. At first, I was really freaked out thinking this had something to do with "A", but my racing heart calmed as I was pulled into a tight embrace with my amazing boyfriend.

"God Ezra you scared the crap out of me!" I whisper-yelled.

"Sorry, I wanted to surprise you," he grinned.

"With what?" I questioned curiously.

"Happy anniversary, baby." He planted a soft kiss on my forehead. I had just realized he had been holding something behind his back. He waved two train tickets and a hotel brochure in front of my face. "I booked us a room at the Ritz-Carlton in Philly for the weekend," He declared. "I figured that you could just tell your parents that you'd be with the girls or something.

"Oh my God!" I squealed, and then quickly turned pale realizing how loud I had just been. I erupted in giggles and wrapped my arms around Ezra in a thankful, lasting kiss. "You need to get out of here before we get caught…" he declares quietly with a mixed expression of bliss and concern spread across his face. I pouted sadly but I knew he was right.

When I sit down with the girls at our usual table, Hanna lets out a small giggle and the others just smile knowingly.

"What?" I ask quickly.

"Were you with Fitzy?" Hanna chokes out between another stream of giggles.

"Shh!" I snap and blush as I am unable to hide a huge smile. I filled them in on Ezra's romantic surprise, and I was thrilled to hear that the girls would happily be my cover story.

As soon as I got home, I was headed for my room but I stopped in my tracks when I heard Mom's voice coming from my room.

"Aria! Come in here please."

I quickly dropped my things on the floor and flew up the stairs in a hurry. A million thoughts ran through my head all at once. Had she found out I was still seeing Ezra? Or worse, did she know our plans? I held my breath as I entered the room.

"I told you to bring these downstairs weeks ago!" she complains, pointing to the pile of clothes I had outgrown lying on the floor in a jumbled stack. I sighed quietly, knowing old clothes was the least of my worries at the time. I gathered the rest of my things from downstairs, oblivious to the hotel brochure had slipped out from my bag and landed on the floor. Little did I realize the amount of trouble this small piece of paper would cause.

 **-Ella's POV-**

"I told you to bring these downstairs weeks ago!" I scoffed. Aria rolled her eyes and marched downstairs.

I have noticed that Aria has seemed distanced lately. I know she is still angry at Byron and me for separating her and Ezra, But we only did it for her own good. I have never admitted this to Aria, but a part of me was happy when they were together because I knew Aria was safe. I am not saying I approve of them being together, But I don't enjoy always being the one that splits them apart.

I was pulled out of my deep thought when Aria once again appeared in the doorway of her room, and I was still seated on her bed. I quickly gathered the clothes and headed downstairs.

On my way to the laundry room, I dropped a blouse from the stack, and when I leaned down to retrieve it, I spotted a folded piece of paper on the floor. Curious I examined it to find that it was an advertisement for a hotel in Philly. I figured it had fallen from the stack of mail on the kitchen counter. I discarded the paper into the trashcan but fished it out moments later. Just as I found the brochure again, Byron walked through the front door.

"Hey honey." he greeted and pecked a quick kiss on her cheek. "What's that?" he questioned, gesturing to the brochure in my hands.

"I…I was wondering if you want to go up to Philly this weekend?" I found this with the mail, and it sounded like a nice idea. Aria is spending the weekend with the girls at Spencer's, Mike will be at Connor's, and we both need a break with the stress that comes with this whole "Ezra" thing. At the mention of his name, Byron clinched his jaw and rage boiled in his face.

"Actually," he replied, "that's a great idea."

"Then it's settled." I grinned. "We can drive down tomorrow afternoon. "We shouldn't tell Aria and Mike," I declared, and Byron nodded in agreement.

 **-Aria's POV-**

The next day at school dragged on forever. I couldn't wait to spend the whole weekend with Ezra in Philadelphia. We would be free to be together in public, without worrying about who would see us. I was suddenly jerked from my daydream at the sound of the final bell. The last class I was in was Ezra's, and he smirked secretively when he saw me eagerly rushing to pack my things and skip gleefully into the hallway. I opened my locker door to put away my books, when a small sticky note fluttered to the floor, landing at my feet. I picked it up and grinned widely when I saw the messy cursive letters that spelled out:

 **My apartment. 4:30. Come prepared.**

 **E.F.**

I quickly packed my bag and hurried outside to jump in my car. It is currently 4:00, so I had barely enough time to pack before I would meet Ezra. The girls agreed to pick me up at my house and drop me off at Ezra's since I was supposed to be spending the night at Spencer's with the rest of them. That way, my car wouldn't be at Ezra's apartment complex, and no one would be suspicious.

I headed up to my room to pack as soon as I pulled into the driveway. I made sure to include all of my favorite outfits, as well as the black purse containing everything that we had ever given each other, and all of the things we'd saved from our dates. I had to pack lightly, or else mom and dad would wonder why I was bringing so much stuff since I already had a few things at Spencer's. It was so frustrating that every little detail had to be so carefully planned out. I mean, I understand why, and it was totally worth it at the end of the day, but it was starting to really get on my nerves.

I put all negative things aside, thinking only positive thoughts about the amazing weekend that I was about to spend with the love of my life. I sat on my bed daydreaming about the whole experience until a sudden beep of my phone pulled me back to reality. it was from Emily, saying they were here. I was barely able to lug my bulging bag down the stairs and out the door. The girls loaded it into the trunk as I poked my head back through the doorway. "BYE MOM…BYE, DAD." I called just before jumping in the car and rolling out.

"So," Hanna began. "Are you excited about your weekend with Fitzy?" I giggled at her statement, but still heard her mumble, "I would be."

"HANNA!" we all scolded before erupting into laughter. The rest of the ride was filled with lots of funny jokes and laughter about what the weekend would be like for Ezra and I. They waved goodbye as I got out of the car and headed towards the doors, and out of the corner of my eye I see Hanna winks suggestively, causing both Spencer and Emily to laugh loudly once again as they sped out of the parking lot.

 **-Ella's POV-**

I tried my best not to act suspiciously as Aria left the house. I was nervous that If I came to the door to tell her goodbye, that she would somehow figure out my and Byron's plans for the weekend. Thankfully, I heard her yell bye to us from downstairs and quickly shut the door behind her. I watched her put her things in Spencer's car and climb in with the other girls, quickly disappearing from sight. I turned around to grab my suitcase from the bed to see Byron standing in the doorway.

"It's stupid that we have to sneak around like a bunch of teenagers and hide things from our children," he stated.

"I know," I replied. "But I just don't think it's a good idea for them to know that we are back together until we know what is really going on between us." He nodded in agreement, but still seemed a bit annoyed. "We have a long drive ahead of us," he reminded me. "We should get going." Grabbing our suitcases, he hurried outside to load the car.

 **-Ezra's POV-**

I could not wait to spend the weekend with Aria in Philly. I had the whole thing planned out with dinner reservations, and all of our favorite movies that we could cuddle up and watch together. I also had a few more surprises up my sleeve, but Aria would just have to wait to find out what those were.

I had just finished packing, and I was zipping up my suitcase when I hear a long awaited knock on my door. I swung open the door to reveal my beautiful girlfriend on the other side. She was wearing my comfy Hollis sweatshirt and had her hair up in a messy bun. It was amazing how she could make any outfit look amazing.

"Miss Montgomery," I teased. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She giggled at this remark and reached up to wrap her arms around my neck and pull me into a playful kiss.

After we both gather our things, we take my car to the Rosewood Train station and quickly find our way to our train car. I see her smirk as the ticket collector refers to me as "Mr. Fitzgerald". As we walk down the long hallways of the train cars, I see Aria discreetly shutter as she examines our surroundings. I wonder if being on a train makes her worry since the Halloween Train incident… I wrap my arms around her for comfort and instantly see her worried look fade away.

 **-Aria's POV-**

As soon as we find our seats on the train, Ezra pulls something out of his bag. I smile as I look down at our favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird. So, for the remainder of the train ride, we took turns reading from the book and cuddling happily.

I must have dozed off at some point because I feel Ezra gently shaking me awake.

"We're here, baby," he says smiling. It took us a few minutes to find our bags and hail a cab to the hotel. For the entire ride, I stared out the window in awe of the sights around me. after about 15 minutes, I glance out of the small car window, and my jaw drops at the building in front of me.

I knew we were going to a nice hotel, but I never imagined that is would be this nice! It looked like a palace! Humongous marble pillars lined the front entrance, and large grand windows covered each side of the building. Ezra laughed at my reaction as I gawked at the hotel's grand architecture. He grabbed our bags from the trunk and rushed around to open my door. "M'lady", I smiled as he reached out his hand to pull me from the cab is my awe-stricken state.

As soon as we walked through the door, I let out a small gasp once again at the sights in front of me. After a few minutes of examining the hotel lobby, we headed to the front desk to check in. "Fitzgerald," I heard Ezra say to the woman behind the desk, after being asked his last name. He knew this would make me giggle, seeing as he was such a casual person, and never went by his full last name.

"Here you are Mr. Fitzgerald, she said handing us two identical room keys. We were escorted to our room by a bellman in a formal red suit.

"Like it so far?" I hear Ezra ask, as he gazed down to see the excited expression on my face.

"No, I love it!" I declared, Planting a kiss on his lips.

"Here you are, room B-26," the bellman announced, causing my heart to skip a beat. Did he just say…B-26? Ezra and I grinned knowingly as we both had a flashback to the night we met.

 **Aria sits at Hollis Bar & Grill, 1 stool down from Ezra**

 **Aria: God, I love this song…**

 **Ezra:…B26…**

I smiled, remembering that night like it was yesterday. Ezra pulled me into a tight embrace as we entered our beautiful hotel room. We stood there kissing happily for awhile until Ezra realized he had left the door wide open in the heat of the moment.

"I should go get our things…" Ezra announced as we both laughed to ourselves remembering that we had left our bags sitting out in the hallway. I guess I could say we were a bit…distracted..

Ezra appeared back in the doorway with a smile plastered on his face.

"What are you smiling about?", I asked curiously.

"Guess what?" he asked.

"What?" I played along.

"I booked us reservations at that French restaurant across the street."

"Ezra…you didn't have to…" My voice trailed off.

"I know," he replied,

"But I did." I kissed him happily and smiled with bliss. We had only been here for a few hours and I was already having the time of my life. Ezra suddenly pulled his wrist up to his face, checking his watch. It was 6:45. "Our reservations are at 7. We need to get ready.

I reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and sat on the bed to sort through my clothes. I found just the right outfit.

My favorite red, mid-thigh-length dress, with a black belt and heels to match.

I slipped on the dress and then walked into the bathroom to touch up my hair and makeup. When I came out of the bathroom a few minutes later I smiled at the sight of my amazing boyfriend. He looked so handsome in his new suit, including the tie that I gave him on our first real date. I walked across the room and jumped into his arms, brushing a stray hair from his face and planting a kiss right on his lips. "Happy anniversary, Aria," he said, as I pulled him into another tight, loving embrace.

A few happy tears trickled down my face as I slipped my hands into his. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked worriedly, panic rising in his voice.

"It's just…it's the first time in so long that I've been truly happy. I admitted. "I don't have to think about anything but you and me tonight, and how much I love you," I stated.

—

"I love you too, Aria," he replied with complete honesty and sincerity. He held me in his arms for a few more minutes until we headed downstairs to the restaurant, hand-in-hand, two people as one, neither of which who cared about how the rest of the world would see them. All throughout dinner, the only thing I could think about was Ezra and I was sure that he was feeling the same way. We exchanged kind and loving comments that may seem cheesy and cliché to the rest of the world, but to us, they were everything.

—

I loved being able to be with Ezra in public, holding hands, and kissing without worrying about who could see. Every time our waiter would appear at the table, One of us would make a point out of the fact that we were a couple. When he asked us where we were from I replied,

"My boyfriend and I live in Rosewood, but we are here for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. At first, Ezra was shocked that I had referred to him that way in public, but then I could tell he remembered that it was OK, once I saw his usual charming smile spread across his handsome face.

The food was delicious; I had vegetarian French onion soup, and Ezra had the pan-seared steak salad. After dinner, we hurried back to the hotel. We couldn't wait to cuddle up together and spend the whole night chatting and watching all of our favorite movies. I could already tell that this would be the most amazing weekend of my life.

As soon as we got inside, I quickly changed out of my dress and into one of Ezra's big, comfy T-shirts. Then we sat on the comfy bed holding the large stack of DVDs in my lap, wondering which one to watch first. "Man, I wish we had ordered dessert at that restaurant. I'm really craving something sweet…"

"I believe there's something I can do about that…" Ezra replies, handing me the room service menu from the bedside table.

"Hmm…" I examined my options. My heart glowed as I read the last item; Brownies with whipped cream. "Ezra…look", I declared happily, pointing to the memory filled dessert item on the menu. Ezra smiled and they were both pulled deep into the memory of sharing a brownie is Ezra's apartment so long ago… "So how does that sound?" I asked, smiling.

"Amazing" he replies. I grab the phone to order room service. "Hey babe, I'm gonna go hop in the shower. I'll be right out, ok?" He asks. I nod quickly, still on hold. "Just put it under your name because I'll probably still be in the shower when they come to the door. We can charge it to the room once when we check out on Sunday." I nod again as he disappears into the bathroom.

I order quickly, and under my last name as he had instructed. they said they would be up in about 10 minutes. I lay back on the bed while I wait, flipping mindlessly through channels on TV, and completely relaxing for the first time in months.

 **-Byron's POV-**

We had arrived at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia nearly 2 hours ago. It took quite a while by car since there was so much traffic in downtown Philly, a drastic change from our quiet town of Rosewood. It was now 11:00. Ella and I had stopped for cheeseburgers on the way and were unpacking our things while watching TV when we heard a quiet knock on our door.

"Room Service!" shouted the voice on the other side. That's strange…we hadn't ordered anything… Ella and I exchanged confused looks, as I unlocked the door. "I have an order of brownies…are you Aria Montgomery?" the man asked glancing at Ella.

"No…I am her mother…why?"

"We got a call about 10 minutes ago from Miss Montgomery ordering these brownies…" I quickly filled with rage and confusion. Why was Aria at the hotel? Ella said she was sleeping over at Spencer's with the girls… I looked over at Ella for answers, but she looked just as confused as I was.

"You're telling me my daughter is at this hotel?" I asked impatiently.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "She checked in earlier today, along with a young man." Oh HELL no! I pushed past the delivery man, angrily striding to the stairwell headed for the lobby. I marched up to the front desk.

"Ezra Fitz!" I seethed. "Do you have someone checked in under that name?!"

"I am terribly sorry sir, but we cannot give out that information for confidentiality reasons," he stated. I grabbed his shirt and pulled his face close to mine.

"I will ask you ONE MORE TIME!" I was now full-fledged yelling. "Do. you. have. a. guest…CHECKED IN UNDER THAT NAME?!"

"Room B-26." the man finally squeaked. I dropped his shirt causing him to fall to the ground gasping for air. My feet pounded the ground as I once again moved through the stairwell post-haste.

"Byron wait," I heard Ella close behind me but I was not turning back now. Once I reached the room, I pounded on the door and awaited a response with clenched fists, and rage boiling from head to toe.

 **-Aria's POV-**

I was laying peacefully on the comfy hotel bed when I heard someone pounding on the door. I figured it was room service, but God…that was harsh.

I swung open the door casually, but the sight I saw staring me back in the face sent chills through my bones and shocked me to the core.

"Dad…" I whispered in a shrill, meager voice.

"Hello, Aria." he seethed through clenched jaws. "Are you here with anyone?" He asked in an eerie, quiet way. I shook my head, unable to draw words to my mouth. "DON'T LIE TO ME, ARIA!" He was now shouting, in a rage-filled tone. OH, my God. I couldn't believe I was standing here in just a shirt; no pants in front of my DAD, and Ezra would come out of the bathroom any minute now- I. am. so. dead. Just as I had feared, now came the worst yet. Ezra walked out of the bathroom- completely naked I might add, oblivious to the horrifying situation which was about to unfold.

"Hey baby, did you pick a m…" Ezra's voice trailed off in terror at the sight of my dad. He practically screamed and scurried to grab a towel to wrap around his waist.

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Dad shouts at Ezra. We both stand there, dumbfounded, half naked, and completely terrified.

For the first time in what felt like hours, my dad removed his death stare from Ezra and shot his daggers straight at me.

"Aria, I FORBADE you from seeing this a**hole ever again, and I promised you there would be consequences if you did.

"You can't forbid me from doing ANYTHING!" I screamed. "I am almost 18 years old. "You can't control me anymore." My father was trying to scare me away from Ezra but I was NOT backing down.

"To HELL I can!" He declared, and before I could fire back, he flew across the room in Ezra's direction with a few quick strides, clenched fists and a look that could kill. Dad took a powerful swing in Ezra's direction, but Ezra grabbed his arm before it could reach him, causing dad to be even angrier than before. I was terrified since I could not do anything to stop this horrible turn of events. Dad was seconds away from taking another swing at him, but mom burst through the open doorway in a panic.

"Byron, NO!" she screamed, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, and pulling him away from Ezra with a surprising amount of force. "Don't you see?!" Mom cried. "Forcing them apart only makes them want to be together more!" she declared. "You can't put a fire out with gasoline. I don't love the idea of Aria being with Ezra, but It's not like we can do anything to stop it! Separating them will only push Aria away from us. I could see that dad was still forcefully angry, but he was beginning to feel powerless against mom. Tears were streaming down my face, both from being terrified of Dad, and thankful for Mom. Ezra was still on the ground- uninjured, but in shock from the night's events. "Come on." Mom declared sternly, grabbing Dad by the wrists, and pulling him towards the door.

"THIS ISN'T OVER, YOUNG LADY!" Dad shouted trying to be intimidating to Ezra and me, but he knew he had been defeated. I heard him mutter harsh curse words under his breath as he was dragged against his will from the room. Mom glanced over her shoulder just long enough for me to silently mouth the words "Thank you", and to see her give me a subtle, understanding nod in return. I could tell that every though she didn't love what was going on between Ezra and me, she was starting to warm up to the idea and the initial shocked mostly worn off.

I quickly walked over to where Ezra had been sitting silently on the floor for awhile now. I reached out my arm to pull him up, and the two of us fell back onto the bed. There was no need for words, we just held each other tight and happy until our breathing slowed, and we both fell fast asleep.

—

I awoke to see light flooding through thick curtains that lined the balcony doors of our hotel room. I was still in the same position as I had been when I fell asleep; in the arms of my amazing boyfriend.

My face wrinkled, remembering the chaotic events of last night, but my frown quickly turned to a smile as I remembered the abundance of happy ones. I thought it was strange that the world was allowing me to be so happy for the past few days, but I was careful not to question the memories, afraid they would vanish into distant oblivion.

I was pulled from my deep, wondering thoughts as my phone beeped out its usual high-pitched tone. I grabbed it quickly to muffle its sound, afraid it would wake Ezra, who was sleeping soundly, tucked into the fluffy hotel comforter. I pulled my phone to my eyes and briskly gazed at the text message on the screen. It was from mom.

 **Lobby coffee shop in 5?**

Without the question mark at the end of the sentence, I would've interpreted it as a command maybe I still do.

Regardless, I kind of owe her… I have no idea what would've happened if she hadn't shown showed up last night. It was the least I could do to show up for coffee. I was on my way out the door when I remembered that Ezra's thin blue shirt was the only thing I was wearing. I laughed silently to myself, and then hurried back into the room to throw on some clothes.

 **-Ella's POV-**

I paced back and forth through the room. I was unsure of whether I should speak to Aria or not. I needed her to know the reasoning behind my actions last night. No. What I needed was to stop pacing so Byron wouldn't be suspicious.

I didn't need him marching in again, ruining every chance I may have of learning the truth about Aria's relationship with Ezra. Even though I won't openly admit this, especially to Byron, I am starting to come around to the idea of their relationship.

Before I could stop myself, I fish my phone from my purse and type out a text inviting Aria for coffee. downstairs. I hear the curtain being thrown open as Byron gets out of the shower. I don't have much time, so I quickly scribble out a note, and leave it where I was lying on my bed, grab my purse and rush out the door, not even awaiting Aria's response.

I didn't want to be interrogated about my plans by my husband this early in the morning. My phone beeped as I hurried down the long carpeted hallway. I smiled as I saw Aria had accepted my invite and was on her way downstairs as well.

"Good morning!" Aria sang cheerful, reaching in for a soft hug, and joining me to sit at our small café table. We ordered our usual coffees when the waitress appeared at our table. We were both secretly beating around the bush. "So," Aria began.

"No need," I replied, knowingly. I could already tell she was thankful for my actions last night. I was starting to see how she must've felt all this time, in fear of being caught by Byron.

"Do you love him?" I asked, shocking myself at my own words. Aria smiled, obviously deep in memories as she stared into empty space.

"I don't just love him. I am in love with him." I declared sincerely. At that very moment, I understood. I understood that they truly loved each other. I understood how they really felt. I understood everything. I simply sat back and listened to Aria happily explain the story of their relationship.

We were nearly done with our second round of coffee when Ezra walked into the coffee shop. I watched him glance over at Aria, but upon seeing me, he turned quickly to leave.

"No, wait…It's OK!" Aria giggled and pulled Ezra over to our table. Mom and I have had a nice talk, and she's coming around to the idea of…us. Aria leaned over to kiss him, but he pulled away quickly, still shocked. "Wait, so…you're…OK with this?" he questioned, apparently still confused. I smiled.

"Aria told me how she truly felt, and I think I can give you guys a chance, in spite of the past. And besides, I've heard you're one hell of a boyfriend, I joked, causing Aria and me to laugh, but Ezra just grinned silently, obviously embarrassed.

"But seriously." he began. "Thank you, Mrs. Montgomery." I smiled.

"You can call me Ella…again."

Our happiness was cut short when my husband stormed into the cafe. Causing us all to frown simultaneously.

"What the hell is this!?" He barks, outraged. I stand from my seat, pushing myself close to Byron's face.

"This… is our daughter and I having a nice breakfast with her boyfriend- whom she apparently loves very much…right Aria?" I ask, slyly smirking as Aria nods, pulling Ezra into a kiss, sending even more rage and shock into Byron's face. Quite a response. I continue. "-and whom I believe is perfect for her." This moment brings happiness to everyone…well, except for Byron, of course, who is infuriated by this whole situation. "Byron…they are in love, and you can't change that. Now sit down, and act like an adult." He frowns.

"I am going to sit down and order coffee. BUT, not because you said to," he informs. "This does not mean that I have come anywhere close to even beginning to accept whatever this is."

We all grin as he lowers himself to sit in the chair. For the remainder of the morning spent at the café, Byron never removes his frustrated gaze from Ezra's face, but I knew that he would soon begin to accept this, whether he would ever really admit to it or not.

 **-Aria's POV-**

I could not believe what was happening right now. This weekend has brought me more emotional shocks, drama and chaos than any other time of my life, but this was by far the most surprising. My parents were beginning to accept my and Ezra's relationship. It shocked and thrilled me all at the same time. I never believed this could happen. As we all ordered lunch, I happily rested my head against Ezra's shoulder, for the first time ever, right in front of Mom and Dad. Ezra smiled and held my hand in his. This was the best weekend of my life, and I have never been happier.

 **So….this is the end of my first chapter. I can't decide if I should make this a one-shot or build on it but I know I want to write more in the future.**

 **Hope you liked it!**

 **XOXO —Ezria_Is_Forever—**


End file.
